Efforts to protect our environment must start from our homes, said HH the Dalai Lama on Wednesday (25) at an event to honour Gandhiji's 150th birth anniversary.
Organised by the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh in cooperation with Harijan Sevak Sangh, the Sarva Dharma Sangam called for an urgent need to protect and preserve our natural environment.
HH the Dalai Lama said: "Because of over-population and global warming our home is hot and burning and we have nowhere to escape. We must take care of our environment, save water and plant more trees. We must save our planet but it must start from our homes and ourselves."
Pujya Swami Ramdevji, Pujya Sant Shri Morari Bapuji, Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji and Maulana Mehmood Madaniji were among the other religious leaders who took part in the event held at the Gandhi Ashram in Kingsway Camp in New Delhi.
Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji presented the saints with saplings of Rudraksh tree as a symbol of the power of faith leaders coming together to bring new, healthy, sustainable, sacred life for all.
He said: "Today is a day where we are celebrating oneness and togetherness. Today we come together to shift our focus from I to We. When I becomes We, Illness Becomes Wellness – in our lives, in our communities, our nations and our world. That is the need of the hour. For us to come together in Oneness.
“Gandhiji united the land of India in the name of Independence from colonial rule. The greatest threats we face today are climate change, environmental destruction and lack of clean water. As we united for independence, as we unite for peace, we must unite for our Planet. "
Ramdevji echoed similar sentiments and said the need of the hour was "to integrate our modern and traditional education, protect our environment and interfaith harmony."
Applauding the religious leaders for coming together in the name of peace, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji said it was time to expand its definition. “Today our definition of peace must include protection and preservation of our natural environment and having access to clean air, clean water and clean soil,” she said.
The event also saw Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji’s new book, Come Home to Yourself, being released by HH the Dalai Lama and the other revered saints.
Dharavi slum in Mumbai
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)